Monday, August 19, 2013

One Year Later

Over one year ago I did something crazy. I told all of my friends and family I was going to Europe for the summer. Now...I might add that around that time I had not submitted an application to the Study Abroad Office at KU, I had about $10.00 overdrawn in my bank account, no savings account, was in deep debt with Sallie Mae and didn't even have a passport.

But people always tell me ....that I am the type of person that whatever I set my mind to 9 times out 10 I'm going to accomplish it. I had no plan how I was going to get to Europe or even if I would be accepted into a program or how in the world I was going to afford it but I told myself that this was something I wanted to do....so I made it happen.

The process was not easy, honestly I had all odds were against me and I wanted to give up on my dream plenty of times. By March 2012 when I hadn't heard back from the Office of Study Abroad  I had already started to apply for internships in my hometown because I needed a back up plan for my summer since things were looking ify.

The next day I got my passport in the mail and ended up deleting all the internship applications  I had submitted for summer employment the day before. Just seeing that passport made me remember that regardless if I had gotten accepted into a program or not I was going to Europe even if it meant I had to swim there.

Long story short by June 2012 I was heading to Dublin,Ireland where I didn't know it yet but my life was about to drastically change.

Since coming back home I can truly say that I am a changed woman and I will never be the same,my outlook on life will never be the same, the way I think will never be the same.

If your thinking about traveling the world, or moving to another state,or getting your degree,or whatever it may be...do it!

Life is too short to keep putting things off. I knew from the moment I stepped on University soil that I wanted to travel to another country....but for so long I doubted that it would ever happen. I use to use the excuse that I would graduate late if I did or that since I didn't come from a wealthy family so I couldn't afford to go abroad or maybe I would go abroad when I got older.

If I would of kept that mindset I would of never went to Ireland, swam in the Mediterranean,kayaked in the Irish Sea, ate a french baguette under the Eifle Tower, or fallen in love with over twenty amazing people that will always be my lifetime friends and travel buddies.... because we climbed hills together including the almighty culture shock, random nights on the metro, Ryanair and the lovely Irishmen!

What's going to be your story a year from now?